Bailey Falter delivered a dominant performance and Andrew McCutchen made franchise history as the Pittsburgh Pirates blanked the San Diego Padres 5-0, snapping a 10-game losing streak to the Padres.
Falter pitched 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out one. The left-hander capped off an incredible May, finishing the month with a 0.76 ERA—one of the lowest monthly marks in Pirates history since 1920 The bullpen—Caleb Ferguson, Dennis Santana, and David Bednar—combined for 2/3 hitless innings to secure the shutout.
McCutchen provided the offensive highlight, launching a 396-foot home run into the second deck off Padres starter Dylan Cease to lead off the fifth inning. It was McCutchen’s fourth homer of the season and his 239th as a Pirate, leaving him just one shy of tying Roberto Clemente for third on the franchise’s all-time list.
Cease, who threw a no-hitter for San Diego last July, struggled again and hasn’t won since April. He allowed three runs on seven hits in 2/3 innings, striking out six and walking one. The Pirates offense struck early, with Bryan Reynolds and Ke’Bryan Hayes driving in key runs, and added insurance with a two-run seventh inning.
The Pirates out-hit the Padres 12-2, with Reynolds going 3-for-5 and driving in two runs. Falter’s stellar outing and McCutchen’s milestone chase now set the stage for the series finale, as all eyes turn to whether McCutchen will tie Clemente’s mark and if Cease can rebound from his ongoing struggles.
